There’s been some fantastic work from film collectives showing off local stuff lately (big ups to the guys from 6 On the St & No Dice Paradice). Who By Fire (Alexander Watkins, Sian Darling + Ben Helweg) are another talented bunch to join the pool. In ‘La Blogotheque’ style, the trio have teamed up with a bunch of Melbourne musos including Johnny Mackay (Children Collide), Matt Bailey, Brous, Seagull, Mesa Cosa + HOY for a series of takeaway shows to be released each week over summer. Along with this acoustic gem from Tim Harvey, there’s another great vid of Brous reppin’ some spaghetti western vibes in a Lygon St cafe (see here) and a whole bunch of other shorts up on their vimeo worth a look too.

www.whobyfire.com.au

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Let this be a prior warning to the people who continually spam my news feed with cat videos: if you don’t curb your obsession, you might just end up in this fetishist cult…or get sent to fight for your KFC in the shower (2.15).

‘Hands’ is the first single from Alpine’s debut record, due out 2012 through Ivy League. These guys are playing Falls Festival, Southbound and are touring all states through Jan (see below for full dates).

Also for your ears -grab the Toni Toni Lee remix of the track here.

www.alpineband.com

(more…)

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In case you’ve been living under a boulder, Geoffrey O’ Connor released his purple lacquered debut ‘Vanity Is Forever’ in September. Most recently, he’s been travelling around the States supporting Jens Lekman. It’s not difficult to point out the guy’s affinity with his Roland Juno, lens-flare soap operas and penchant for an era when Bryan Ferry was reppin’ the times. However, it’s far from melancholy dribble and tribute riffs; anyone who’s been to one of the shows under his various guises (Crayon Fields, Sly Hats) knows that O’Connor is well versed in the realm of crafting good pop.

Geoff admits here that he’s a nice guy. Just don’t call his music ‘retro’.

*      *      *

When did you get back to the country?

A couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately all my luggage didn’t arrive…I had to play a show that night without any of my instruments and all my good clothes were still in LA.

You played a Synagogue in DC with Jens Lekman right? What was that like?

It was beautiful playing to three levels of crowds. There were a couple of interesting venues. We also played in the Masonic Hall in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Weird vibes?

There was definitely an eerie vibe. The synagogue everyone was seated which is always an interesting crowd to play to. I enjoy that aspect, but sometimes it can feel a bit dead. The Hollywood Forever Cemetery was intimidating playing so close to Frances Farmer’s grave.

You’ve mentioned you’re a ‘control freak’ in other interviews. Was this why you took it solo on the road? Do you work better in isolation?

Bands are difficult to co-ordinate. I really do enjoy playing in bands but a lot of the time I like to piece it all together myself – having the freedom to discard things, rework things. It’s hard to do in a band situation, you have to be more diplomatic about the whole thing. If you’re working by yourself, you’re only wasting your own time…

I’m not going to point the throwback kitsch finger to Roxy Music and everything else ‘83 – ‘89 you’ve been compared to, but in a previous interview you said that ‘you don’t think your music sounds THAT 80’s’.

Don’t you think that statement was a bit naive? It’s hard to shirk the references. I mean the shades, the Roland Juno, purple lights…

The sunglasses were more of a Roy Orbison thing for me. I can totally see why people mention that, but I think that’s naive. It’s not so much the 80’s thing I have a problem with, it’s the ‘retro’ thing. Like people hear folk music played or organic, acoustic instruments and they won’t say that’s ‘retro’…where in my mind, that’s imposing far more limitations on yourself. (more…)

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